Knitting machine having a chopper bar controlling mechanism



Nov. 12, 1968 R. G. BASSIST 3,410,113

KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A CHOPPER BAR CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed April 6, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. PUDQZPI/ G. BASS/$7 Nov. 12, 1968 R. cs. BASSIST KNITTINQ MACHINE.- HAVING A CHOPPER BAR CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed April 6, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. P0004 Pb 6. 8/615 /5 7' BY; Q25;

Nov. 12, 1968 R. G. BASSIST 3,410,113

KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A CHOPPER BAR CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed April 6, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H616 F/G. 7 He. a

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Irma 5x9 United States Patent 3,410,113 KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A CHOPPER BAR CONTROLLING MECHANISM Rudolph G. Bassist, 3660 Waldo Ave, New York, N.Y. 10063 Filed Apr. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 540,550 6 Claims. (Cl. 66-84) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Chopper bar mounted to swing with guide bars, but vertical movement of chopper bar controlled by a pattern chain. Chopper bar may carry cam follower engaging cam mounted on rod slidable in response to pattern chain, or chopper bar may be actuated by solenoid energized via switch responsive to pattern chain.

This invention relates to knitting machines, and in particular to knitting machines utilizing a chopper bar to introduce effect thread into the fabric formed by the machine.

As is known, the operation of a knitting machine is based upon the relative movement of guide needles and vertically reciprocating knitting needles. The guide needles depend from one or more guide bars, and means are provided to swing or rock the guide bar about a longitudinal axis, and to simultaneously longitudinally reciprocate the guide bars. The reciprocating guide bars are caused to swing to and fro through a bed of the vertically reciprocating needles, mounted on a needle bar, so that thread is introduced when the needles are in the upward position, and a knitting operation is performed when the needles are moved downwardly.

Knitting machines of this type are often provided with a fall-plate or chopper-bar which is employed to introduce effect threads, generally of a higher denier, into the fabric. The chopper bar is a thin steel blade extending across the full width of the needle bar and is conventionally mounted centrally between the guide bars. The chopper bar is attached to a swing arm and therefore is given the same Swinging motion as the guide bars. In addition, the chop per bar is also given a vertical motion, by means of a cam on the main camshaft of the knitting machine, which is timed to occur after the lapping movements are completed, and before the needle bar descends. The effect of the downward motion of the chopper bar is to carry below the level of the needle latches, all the warp threads car ried by guide bars which are situated in front of the chopper bar. Because these front bar threads do not enter the needle hooks and are not formed into loops in the usual way, it is possible to introduce heavier deniers of yarn for producing desired effects in the fabric.

In presently known knitting machines, the means for controlling the downward movement of the chopper bar is dependent upon the rotation of the main camshaft of the machine, ie the chopper descends once for each rotation of the camshaft, or in other words, once during each cycle of the knitting machine. Consequently, the flexibility of operation of the chopper bar is limited. Accordingly, the various fabric effects which may be achieved is limited.

It is a general object of this invention to overcome the deficiencies of known knitting machines, by providing in a knitting machine, of the type described, means for independently controlling the vertical motion of the chopper bar.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide in a knitting machine, such as a Raschel Knitting machine in which a chopper bar is used to facilitate a knitting operation involving a heavy denier thread, a chopper bar mechanism responsive to a pattern chain, and which there- 3,410,113 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 fore operates independently of the remainder of the knitting cycle.

In accordance with the aforementioned objects, a separate chopper bar assembly is secured to the swing arm intermediate the guide bar arms, replacing a guide bar arm of conventional knitting machines and is swung with the guide bar arms by the swing arm. Lateral reciprocatory motion is, as usual, imparted to the guide bars by push rods, which are actuated by a pattern chain mechanism. The chopper bar arm is, however, restrained from lateral movement but is given vertical movement by means of a pattern chain mechanism.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a camming surface is mounted on a rod, which is laterally moved in response to the pattern chain. A cam follower rides along the camming surface, in response to the lateral motion of the rod assembly, and imparts a vertical motion to the chopper bar. Once' the camming surface moves away from the cam follower, a restoring spring returns the chopper bar to its initial position.

In another embodiment of this invention, the pattern chain actuates a switch arranged to energize an electromagnet, which in turn moves the chopper bar downwardly. Because of the great variety of possible configurations in the pattern chain, it is thus possible to cause the chopper bar to descend at any desired point in the knitting operation to create a great variety of fabric designs.

Further objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed specification, with reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of a knitting machine, showing a chopper bar mechanism in accordane with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, and partly in section, of the knitting mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, diagrammatic in nature, illustrating a preferred embodiment of means for imparting vertical movement to the chopper bar;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating another embodiment of a pattern-chain-actuated chopper bar mechanism; and

FIGS. 5-11 are fragmentary elevational views showing the various stages of a knitting operation in which efi'ect threads are introduced into the fabric by means of a chopper bar.

To aid in obtaining a better understanding of the features of the present invention, and the advantages derived from its use, it will be advantageous to briefly describe the manner in which a chopper bar is used in a knitting operation to introduce an effect thread, generally of a heavier denier, into the fabric. Referring to FIGS. 5-11, there is shown .a knitting operation, in diagrammatic form. Knitting needles 10, each having a hooked end 12, and a pivotable latch 14, are given vertical reciprocatory movement by conventional means (not shown). A stationary member 11 helps to retain the knitted loops in position during the knitting operation. A pair of guide needles 16, 18 formed along substantially parallel rows such as 17, is provided for each knitting needle 10 and of course, for any additional fabric thread to be introduced into the fabric, an additional row of guide needles would be provided. Guide needle 18 guides conventional fabric thread 20, through the hook 12 of needle 10 (FIG. 7) while guide needle 16 guides the heavier denier effect thread 22 around the shank of needle 10. A single chopper bar 24 is disposed intermediate guide needles 16 and 18. As shown in FIG. 2, chopper bar 24 is a thin, elongated metallic bar extending along an entire row of guide needles such as 17.

The chopper bar 24 is attached by means to be described below, so as to swing along with the guide bars 26 While I have described my invention with respect to two specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that these embodiments have been described for purposes of example only, and that my invention is to be defined solely by the claims which are appended below.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knitting machine comprising a swing shaft, a cam shaft for oscillating said swing shaft, a swing arm fixed to said swing shaft, at least one guide bar arm sup port secured to said swing arm, a guide bar arm secured to said guide bar arm support, a guide bar carried by said arm, and means for moving said guide bar transversely in timed relation to its swinging movements;

a chopper bar arm support secured to said swing arm adjacent to said guide bar arm support, a chopper bar arm secured to said chopper bar arm support and swingable with it, a chopper bar parallel to said guide bar and slidable with respect to said chopper bar arm, a rotatable pattern wheel, a pattern chain carried by said wheel, said chain being or" such length that more than one complete revolution of the cam shaft of the machine takes place for each complete cycle of movement of said chain, and means responsive to said pattern chain for imparting vertical reciprocating motion to said chopper bar, whereby said chopper bar need not necessarily be actuated during each revolution of the cam shaft of the machine.

2. In a knitting machine, the arrangement defined in claim 1, including a lever movable in response to said pattern chain, a rod connected to one end of said lever, a cam carried by said rod, and a cam follower contacting said cam and operatively connected to said chopper bar.

3. In a knitting machine, the arrangement defined in claim 1, including a switch actuated by selected portions of said pattern chain, a solenoid electrically connected to said switch, and means operatively connecting said solenoid to said chopper bar.

4. In a knitting machine, the arrangement defined in claim it including an extension projecting from said chopper bar, said extension being slidable with respect to said chopper bar arm, and serving to transmit motion from said pattern chain responsive means to said chopper bar.

5. In a knitting machine, the arrangement defined in claim 4 wherein said pattern chain responsive means includes a cam, and said extension carries a cam follower engaging said cam.

65, In a knitting machine, the arrangement defined in claim 4 wherein said pattern chain responsive means includes a solenoid, arranged to impart motion to said extension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,625,023 1/1953 Bellini 66-86 2,993,353 7/1961 Grau 6684 3,074,259 1/1963 Bassist 6684 3,115,023 12/1963 Mosig et al. 66--84 3,243,976 4/ 1966 Matthews.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,277,926 10/1961 France.

827,072 2/ 1960 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Paling, Warp Knitting Technology, Columbine Press, Manchester, England, 1952, pp. 156 and 157.

Paling, Warp Knitting Technology, Columbine Press, 1965, pp. 325 and 326.

' WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner. 

